UPND Youth Chairman Admits Internal Failures After Electoral Loss

UPND Youth Chairman Admits Internal Failures After Electoral Loss

The United Party for National Development (UPND) National Youth Chairman Gilber Liswaniso, has publicly criticised some ministers and appointed officials within the ruling party, accusing them of betraying President Hakainde Hichilema and failing to protect the party’s governing mandate.

Speaking in remarks circulated on social media on Tuesday morning, the youth leader expressed disappointment with senior figures in government and within the party, saying their conduct had undermined the party’s objectives and weakened its position on the ground.

Liswaniso stated that some ministers and appointed officials had failed to play an active role during a recent electoral contest, describing their absence as a serious failure of responsibility. According to the youth chairman, the purpose of being in government was not symbolic authority but the active protection and implementation of the party’s vision and policies.

“Why are we in government?” he asked during the address. “It is to protect power so that the vision of the party and the President can be implemented.”

He argued that once political power is lost, a party can no longer implement its agenda, stressing that the responsibility of those in influential positions was to ensure continuity of governance by remaining connected to grassroots structures and electoral realities.

The youth chairman acknowledged that responsibility did not rest solely with ministers and appointees, but also extended to party leaders themselves. He included himself among those who needed to accept blame, stating that internal weaknesses had contributed to the situation facing the party.

He said some individuals within the system had ignored warnings raised earlier, particularly on issues that required consultation with party structures. According to him, decisions were taken without engaging the Patriotic Alliance Committee of the UPND, creating risks that were repeatedly highlighted but dismissed.

“There are certain things which they do which cannot even consult the party,” he said, adding that when concerns were raised, they were brushed aside by officials who believed they knew better.

The youth leader linked these actions to the party’s recent electoral loss, stating that only after defeat did some officials begin sharing information and concerns with him. He questioned why such engagement did not happen earlier, particularly when those officials were not present on the ground during the campaign period.

He described the outcome of the election as a learning moment, saying it had revealed how systems within the party and government were functioning in practice. According to him, the loss exposed gaps that needed to be addressed urgently if the party was to realign itself with its original mission.

He stressed that it was not too late to correct course, calling for renewed discipline and internal order within both the UPND and its alliance structures. He warned against what he described as a betrayal of the President’s leadership and intentions.

The youth chairman praised President Hichilema, describing him as a leader committed to national development and to ensuring that public resources benefit communities at the grassroots level. He said the President’s vision required active support from those appointed to serve in government.

“That President needs help from us,” he said, adding that everyone holding an influential position under the UPND government had a responsibility to contribute to the success of the administration.

He made it clear that his comments were not aimed at self-preservation, stating that he was prepared to face backlash from within the party. He said some officials might call for his removal from office because of his stance, but he was willing to accept that outcome if it meant defending the party’s vision.

“I would rather be fired from this position by doing the right thing,” he said, explaining that his priority was the protection of the party’s mandate and the implementation of its policies.

The youth chairman concluded by stating that he was taking the matter personally in his capacity as national youth leader, signalling that internal accountability would be a focus going forward. His remarks reflect growing internal pressure within the ruling party following electoral setbacks and renewed debate over the role of ministers, appointees, and party structures in maintaining political support.